Page 132 of The Villain

“Oh?” Dad’s eyes narrow and then flick to the three men standing in the driveway looking murderous.

“Yeah,” she winces. “It’s the only one you’re going to get and I’m sorry about that. It’s just… Shade is South’s now. And Southie doesn’t give warnings when someone messes with people who are hers, family or not.”

My brows furrow in disbelief. She makes the woman Daniels is apparently sleeping with sound like the boogeyman. How could anyone be worse than him? It’s obvious this woman has no idea who Daniels really is. That should relax Dad nicely since he’s been suspicious.

“And that’s it,” she claps her hands together with an awkward smile. “I hope I see you again. When you see South just hold still and keep quiet. You’re all welcome here any time.”

Her eyes turn to me and she gives me a beaming smile. “Andi talks about you nonstop. The hero worship is real and I’m so glad I finally met you. You should hang around a while. I mean, if you make it that is. Remember, still and quiet. And no taunting Shade. It will make her worse.”

Warning given; she bounces away to drag the three men back into the house.

Leaving the rest of us staring at the closed front door, baffled on how to respond.

26. The Offering

Shade

I walk in through the back entrance of Andi’s restaurant. The lock there is easy to pick. I scouted the vehicles, noting Ira’s license plate and the plate of the secondary vehicle for the team. The four assholes are here. Andi. Matthias and his son, along with his bodyguards.

This is dramatic bullshit staged as some kind of damn intervention.

I follow the sound of voices to one of the back party rooms. The main speaker is Ira. I pause to listen in and figure out positioning.

“And you believe he’s a leak because?” Matthias’ voice trails off on a silky threatening tone.

“Why else are we still hounding him?” Ira snaps back. A bad call on his part. This is his first time meeting Matthias face to face and his manners are being noted down with asterisks. To Ira’s team he’s a voice on the phone or an email, not a person. They don’t have a feel for his moods like I do.

Matthias is giving them enough rope to hang themselves with. So far, Ira is going first.

“We should be focusing on Fullerton,” Brody’s tone is more respectful. “If he leaked anything it would be to his psychotic girlfriend. We take care of them and go back to business.”

“He’s not a fucking leak, how many times do I have to say it?” Felix breaks in wrathfully.

“Then he stayed with Tera out of loyalty? Shade? Get your head out of your ass,” Blaze bites back.

“Yeah, he did,” Felix’s voice rises in anger. “Wake the fuck up!”

Before a fight can break out Matthias makes a thoughtful sound. It stops them beautifully.

“Your brother is correct, Blaze. Shade isn’t a leak.”

“Then why the fuck have we been watching him?” Ira barks.

“Settle down, Ira,” Andi says in a voice filled with nerves.

She has stayed on the peripherals of Matthias’ business for the majority of her life. Out of fear and the crushed belief that there’s something good inside Matthias. Her coming to this town was supposed to be her breakaway moment. If it weren’t for the Worm, as Tera calls him, she would have been left alone. Because of him, she got sucked right back in with three boyfriends in tow.

All three of those fuckers better be in there with her.

“This is a lay our cards on the table meeting,” Cade, one of Gabriel’s guards, pipes up. I’d heard he was good at soothing tense situations. It’s a wasted effort this time.

I have a good idea how they’re positioned and I’m as ready for this bloodbath as I’m going to get.

I slide through the cracked open door and stride directly to a seat left open between one of Andi’s boyfriends and Blaze.

Gabriel’s team watches me like I’m a poltergeist about to throw shit around the room. Matthias’ eyes narrow balefully. Ira’s team looks at me like an orphan that walked in begging for food. Andi stares at me with wide eyes filled with a toxic mix of hope and dread. She and Felix are the only two people here that seem pleased at my presence.

“Shade,” Ira sneers.

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